Quick opening steam valve actuated by a cylinder



Sept. 27, 1932. P. w. KNAUF QUICK OPENING STEAM VALVE ACTUATED Filed 0G13. 6, 193] Hlm @@@w F/G. i" i l P. w. KNAUF 1,880,186

QUICK OPENING STEAM VALVE ACTUATED BY A CYLINDER Sept. 27, 1932.

Filed oct. e, 1.931 2 sheets-sheet 2 -claimed Patented Sept. 277, 1932 UNITED[S1-AiresA PATENTL eisen e PAUL "W. KNAUF, F GYNWYD, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGNOR TO SGHUT'IE @a KOERTING COMPANY, AOF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIGN 0F. PENNSYL-- VANIA QUICKV OPENING STEAM VALVE ACTUATEID :BY A CYLINDER Application filed October 6, 1931. Serial:4 No. 567,174.

l@ along the actuating rod.

It is another feature of my invention to provide in the actuating cylinder a stop for the actuating piston and to provide means between said stop and said piston to prevent Ythe leakage of oil around said piston.

It is yet another feature of my invention to provide a lost motion connection between the piston and the movable parts actuated there.-

by so that the movable valve partsmay seat before the actuating piston has completed its travel. Yet a further feature of my invention is to provide drainage means from the inlet side of the valve.

Yet a. further feature of my invention is 'QB-dto provide a check valve between the pilot chamber and the valve chamber so that the condensate may be drained from the pilot chamber to the valve `chamber and thence through the drain from the valve chamber.

For a further exposition of my invention reference may be had to the annexed specica` tion and drawings at the end whereof my invention will be specifically point-.ed out and ln the drawings, y t Figure 1 is a vertical elevation with parts in cross section through my valve shownin closed position.

- j Figure 2 is a vertical cross section of a modied form oi actuating mechanism.

. Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectionof a portion of the valve casing showing a modified form of drainage.

f In the embodiment of my invention chosen Ifor illustration in the drawings, the valve is shown as consisting of avalve casing chaving an inlet port 6 'and an outlet port 7 In'its interior portion the valve is provided fwith a seat 8 with which cooperates avalve` "spool 9 which is guided at its upper end in `the guide cylinder 10`and which is guided at its lower end in the cylindrical partition wall 11. The partition-wall 11 serves to divide onevportionozt the interior of. the valve casing 5 into a valve chambercommunicating with said valve seat and the'inlet opening 6 and generally indicatedat 12 and a pilot cham-V ber generally indicated yat 13.v Communication is provided between the valve chamber 12 and the' pilot chamber'13 by a passage generallyindicated at 14, the passage 14 being controlled by a throttle, screw 15. From the valve chamber 12v there is provided a'drain 16 which is connectedto one steam trap o r other drain (not shown). Pilot chamber 13 is provided with a separate drain 17 whichis connected to another steam trap or drainage system (not shown) than'` that to which drain 16 is connected. Within spool'9 and cooperat- Y ing therewith there is provided a pilot valve 18 which is slidable relative to spool 9 and which cooperates in one position with a valve seat 19 to control the flow of steam or other fluid from the pilot chamber 13 through ports 2O and the ports 21 in the spool.

Connected to the pilot valve 18 is an actuating element 22 shownin the form of a yrod which passes out of the valve casing through a gland V23 having stuiiing box packing 24 therein cooperating with Vthe actuating element 22. At its upper end-actuating element` yokel 25 which has at its upper.

22 carries a ends nuts 26 bearing on springs 27 which in turn bear'on a cross-head 28. `Springs 27 provide a lost motion connection between the yoke 25 and the cross head 28. Cross head 28 carries apiston rod 29 which cooperates with a piston'30 carried in cylinder 31 which is connected lto the valve casingl. Cylinder 31 1 .Y

has an orice 32 therein which serves as a pressure supply anddischarge connection for" the. oil or other fluid, such as vwater or air which may be used as the actuating medium for piston30. Piston V is stressed on its upper side byja spring 33 which is in compressionas shown in Figure 1. The chamber above the piston 30 isy provided with an loil leak oftconnection 34 to permit the escape' of any o-il which may leak" past piston 30. 7 Cylinderl is provided with stopsv35 whichV 3 ring may be mounted on either the pistonV 8O der 81. The second yoke 128 may,

or the cylinder 81. Because piston 80m0ves so infrequently, this sealing ring is necessary to prev-ent excessive leakage of' oil or other actuating fluid around the piston 80.

In Figure 2 there isdisclosed a slightly modified form of actuating apparatusfor the valve. From the upper end of valvecasing 5 projects an actuating rod 22 having ayole thereon.v Yoke 25 bears Vupon springs 127 which in turn bear onnuts-126 carried-'by rods 228 which cooperate withasecond yokeV 128. Yoke 128 may be provided on its upper surface with a cavity or orifice 229 which serves to receive any oil which may leak along the piston rod 129 lfrom the actuating cylinif desired, be provided with a lead off 'pipe 828 which may be connected by a lost motion connection to any suitable oil storage means. The piston rod 129 is connected at its upper end to p iston 80. Spring 88 presses upon piston 80. Cylinder 81 is provided with a circularstop 85 which serves to locate the upper or normal osition of the piston 80. There is provided a flexible sealing ring 86 between the stop 85 and the piston 80.

In Figure 8 there is disclosed a modified formof drainage. The valve casing 5 contains the valve chamber 12 and the, piston 'chamber 18 which are in communication through the port 111 as explained above. Valve chamber 12 is provided with a drain 16. In the circular partition wall V11 which separates the valve chamber 12 from the piston chamber 18 there is provided a check valve 100 designed so as to open when there is an excess of pressure in thepilot chamber 18 and to close when there is a-n excess of pressure in the valve chamber' 12.Y It will thus be seen that when thereis a slightexcess'head of condensate in thepilot chamber 18this willopen vthe check valve 100 and flow into the valve chamber 12 whence it escapes through the drain 16 to a steam trap or other source of'disposal (not shown)'.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, which has been selected'from many other embodiments which my invention may take, the valve is designed to operate as a quick opention. Oil, water, airor other actuating fluid is maintained within the cylinder 81 under suliicient pressure to maintain the piston 80 against th-e stop .85 againstfthepressure of' spring 88 and the weight of. thepilot valve 18, the valve spool 9 and theactuatingelement 22. When it is desir-ed to actuate the valve the pressureonthe fluidwithin cylin-v der. 81 is released. K This permits the pressure In Figure '1 the valve is shown 1n its normal or closed pos1- -arm 28, yoke 25, actuating rod 22 and pilot valve 18. Due to the lost motion -connection between the pilot valve 18 and the valve spool 9, the pilotvalve 18 moves away from the pilot valve seat 19 and opens steam communication from the inlet port 6' to outlet port Y through port 14, pilot chamber 18,

ports 20. and 21. Due totherestrictedsize:

of port 141 thisquicklyequalizes the pressure in pilot chamber 18 and in outletport 7 Pressure is thereforeremoved :from the lower movement of actuatingrod 22, pilot valve 18 engages valve spool 9 and moves valve spool 9 awayfrom valve seat8 thus opening the Vface of valve spool'9 and upon continued main communication between inlet port- 6 y and outlet portf'v?.

Upon movement-.ofthe piston 80 inthe reverse direction 'pilot valveV 18 rst contacts with spool 9 at pilot valve seat 19.' Further.

movement'of'actuatingfrod 28 moves pilot valve 18 and valve spool 9 until lvalve spool 9` contacts Vwith seat 8. Springs 27 vthen form a lost motion connection and permit'further movement of piston 8() which serves to further compress'springs27 and 88'untilpiston 8O engages stop85.

The mode of operation' of the modified form of actuatingelement .shown in Figure 2 is identical with' that described 'in connection witlithe modification disclosed in Figure l'e'X- cept that'the shape of the actuating element has been'varied somewhat.

Whilel I have describedmy novelvalve as designed'for the control ofisteam it is obvious that itmay controlthe-flowof many'other fluids and that it may be designed either for normal 'closed position 'or Vnormal opened :positi'on. f' Moreover', my novel valve may b'e de-` signed'ito. move up vertically instead ofdown vertically as described in the modification chosen or my valvev maybe designed so that.'

its axis of movementis horizontal or Aatany other angle. e Itis, ofcourse, obvious that" the drainage arrangement disclosed in Figure 2 is only usefulwhen the cylinder 81 isabove the valve and whenl the axis of movement approaches the vertical.

I do notintend to be limited in the practice of my inventionsave as the scope ofthe` prior art and'of'the attached claims may'require.

1. A valve including in 'combination a `va-l've casing having inlet and outletports therein,

n avalve seat in said casing, a valve spool co-4 operating with said'valve seat, apilotvalve;

cooperating with said valve spool, apartition 1n saidva'lve casing defining avalve chamber commu'nicating'withsaid valve .seat andsaid inlet'port, afpilot'chamber adjacent said 'pilot valve, means for' conducting fluidi'from said valve chamber to said pilot chamber', a drain from said'valve chamber, a Vcheclrvalve openl ing from said pilot chamber to said valve chamber, an actuating element for actuating said pilot valve and said spool, a lost motion connection between said pilot and said spool, a cylinder .Connected to said casing, a piston in said cylinder for moving said actuating element, and a lost motion connection between said piston and said actuating element.

2. A valve including in combination a valve casing, a valve spool in said casing, Valve in said casing, an actuating rod connected to said pilot valve, a yoke connected to said actuating rod, springs carried by said yoke, a cross head engaging said springs and said yoke by a lost motion connection, aypiston rod connected to said cross head, a piston connected to said piston rod, and a cylinder cooperating with said piston.

3. A valve including in combination a Valve casing, a valve spool in said casing, a pilot valve in said casing, an actuating rod connected to said pilot valve, a yoke connected to said actuating rod, a second yoke, a lost motion connection between said iirst and said second yokes, a piston rod connected to said second yoke, a piston connected to said piston rod, a cylinder cooperating with said piston, and means on said second yoke for storing fluid leaking from said cylinder along said piston rod.

PAUL W. KNAUF.

a pilot. 

